


Arachnikid- A Sequel

by Jennsepticeye



Series: The Adventures of Arachnikid: Radioactive Disaster [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Genre: (And Neo-pronouns), Daily Bugle, Doppelganger, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, First Meetings, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Moving On, Multiverse, Not Beta Read, POV Outsider, Relationship Issues, Social Media, Timeline What Timeline, Twitter, and frankie gets one, reddit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29481588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jennsepticeye/pseuds/Jennsepticeye
Summary: Let's start from… well the middle I guess.My name is Frankie Stevens. I was bitten by a radioactive spider and— Well what’s the point of telling these stories if you’re not going to read them? You should know all this already. For the last seven or so years I’ve been New York’s one and only Arachnikid.I’ve been through a lot. I’ve traveled dimensions, lived through the apocalypse, and lost people, but never once have I been alone. This is my story.~*~I'm extending Frankie's universe because I think they're neat, and they deserve friends. More tags to be added as we go
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Series: The Adventures of Arachnikid: Radioactive Disaster [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124747
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Overwhelmed

**Author's Note:**

> I can hyperfixate on this motherfucker forever. I love them so much.
> 
> Frankie's overwhelmed experiences are based on what mine were like in high school.  
> I still have "episodes" but now I have neat little anxiety tics, that I didn't know how to write into this.

The first time it happens is two days after Paige’s funeral. Frankie wakes up in their own bed in Brooklyn because Mrs. Lao’s toddler is having a blast with his toy keyboard. The Lao family lives three stories below the Clark-Stevens apartment.

But Frankie’s adjusted. They’re used to hearing and seeing a little too much since their less-than-legal exploration of Oscorp. It’s been two months, they should be used to this. “Should'' being the operative word in that statement. Frankie’s dealt with sensory overloads plenty, perks of being neurodiverse, but this is like going from a usual five to like fourteen. Their head is screaming, every sound driving another knife into their cranium. From the sound of their Pa making breakfast to the hum of electricity in the walls, they’re practically blind with pain. The light isn’t any better either, because even though their curtains are closed, there may as well be a spotlight shining in their face, and their normally soft sheets feel like sandpaper. Frankie’s been awake for about thirty seconds and already they want to cry. They’re pretty sure this is the worst pain they’ve ever experienced, including that time they broke a rib after missing a landing.

They can hear the too-fast beating of their heart in time with the throbbing in their head, and spell the cinnamon in their Pa’s coffee. In a word? It’s fucking terrible.

Clumsily Frankie grabs their phone off the nightstand, not cracking their eyes any more than necessary.

_ To: Dad 0904 _ _  
_ _ Migra ine. Shjkhhh. Thanks. _

A few seconds later they hear their dad’s phone ping with a notification in the other room, and the subsequent hushed discussion between their fathers, every word crystal clear as if they were talking at full volume in Frankie's bedroom.

They must fall asleep, or maybe they pass out from the pain, because when they open their eyes again there’s water, food, and painkillers on their bedside tables. Their migraine has eased some, but everything is still too loud and awful.

Painfully, Frankie wishes Paige were still here, because she always knew how to help in times like these. But Paige is dead and gone. Frankie will never feel her play with their hair, or see her gap-toothed smile, or hold her marker smudged hands. Paige is gone, and there’s nothing Frankie could have done to stop it.

They scrub their eyes with the heels of their hands, as if they can scrub the painful thoughts from their head. Frankie sighs and eats the long-cold toast before taking the painkillers. They don’t work. Another shitty side effect from that fucking spider bite.

Frankie wishes they could sue Oscorp.

~*~

The second time it happens is like three months later, after the Avengers had their “Civil War” over the Accords and broke up like a boyband. Frankie recognizes the signs this time, but what can they do? Decathlon regionals are coming up, not to mention finals, and Phineas Mason is out of prison again. Stress, Frankie is learning, is the catalyst to a lot of the bullshit they have to deal with.

They push through it the best they can, even when BAT’s cafeteria is so loud and bright and hot they think they might cry. Somehow,  _ somehow,  _ they make it to the end of the day, practically shaking as they stumble into their dorm.

_ To: Peter From Midtown 1508 _ _  
_ _ Too loud. Ow. Wh y? _

That makes no sense, but Frankie’s thoughts aren't exactly coherent at the moment.

_ To: Peter From Midtown 1509 _ _  
_ _ Spider issue? CN heR headma ster’s pulse. _ _  
_ _ Fucinh bri Te _

That’s really not any more specific than the first message, but regardless a text comes in just a couple moments later

_ From: Peter From Midtown 1509 _ _  
_ _ its probably sensory overload _

_ From: Peter From Midtown 1510 _ _  
_ _ put on the mask. karen can help _

It takes Frankie a few minutes to remember where the suit is, and another few moments to stumble over to the wardrobe and pull it out. Their fingers feel clumsy and weak as they pull the mask over their head, holding back nausea at the pain. Puking in their mask would be salt in the wound

“Your breathing and heartbeat are elevated. Would you like me to engage the sensory deprivation protocols?” Karen asks, as soon as they finally get it settled.

“Please.”

All at once the roar in Frankie’s ears is taken from a thirteen to a quiet three, and the same with the light. The sudden quiet makes Frankie’s head spin, and they practically crumple to the floor, chest heaving slightly. Even the post-surgery morphine high has nothing on the overwhelming relief of some goddamn peace and quiet. 

“You seem to be distressed. Would you like to run through some breathing exercises?”

“Please and thank you, Karen.”

~*~

Peter calls them sensory overload. Frankie tells him that’s the understatement of the century. They’ve dealt with sensory overload before. Whatever these episodes are, they’re like sensory overload on steroids.

~*~

The next time it happens is months and months later during New Years of all times. Frankie’s not particularly stressed, but everything is so,  _ so  _ loud and it’s getting to them as they swing over the festivities. Arachnikid takes a deep breath and tries to calm down. Okay, they are a little stressed, if they’re being honest. Doc Ock has been causing trouble again so Arachnikid can’t let their guard down. The psycho definitely isn’t above starting shit in Times Square, considering there was that one time Goblin released poisonous gas at a ball drop.

“Your heart rate is more elevated than usual. Would you like me to engage sensory deprivation protocols?”

The offer is tempting, but they can’t afford to have their senses limited right now. The ball drop is just five minutes away. If anything is going to happen, it’s going to happen soon. Arachnikid needs to be on their game.

“That’s okay, Karen. I’ll manage.”

Karen doesn’t respond, and Arachnikid gets the strange feeling that she disapproves. So dramatic, just like her creator. Who even programs an AI to give the silent treatment anyway? It makes Frankie wonder if FRIDAY and Karen pass the Turing test. Surely they must.

Five minutes pass in a flash, and suddenly the volume in the Square is crushing as thousands of people excitedly count down to the new year. It’s too much, far too much.

The ball drops and Arachnikid does too, crumpling over on a rooftop, pressing their hands over their ears. Forget staying on alert. Frankie can’t even think over all the noise. How does Matt live like this? 

Karen is already over-riding their orders and engaging the sensory limitters, but it’s not enough, not when their chest and head feel like they’re going to explode.

“Kar-Karen. Squeeze. I can’t— Fuck—”

“Activating Squeeze Protocols.”

Firm bands of pressure form along Arachnikid’s chest, shoulders, back and limbs as they struggle to sit up against the edge of the roof. Everything is still too much, even though they can’t hear or see hardly anything. They can feel the vibrations of the crown in the street below, celebrating the end of another trip around the sun. They can smell the sweat, booze, and fireworks, and it’s making their breath come too fast. They feel nauseous. 

“Frankie, you need to take a breath and focus.” Karen says, and Frankie  _ tries,  _ they really do, but their breath is choked at best, and there are too many things trying to steal their focus.

“I can’t—”

“Try again.” 

Frankie tries again. It goes a bit better, and the soft squeeze of the suit makes their chest feel less raw and open. 

_ In-two-three-four. Out-two-three-four. _

Frankie’s head is spinning,but they do it again and again until they can fix their focus away from the noise and lock onto the pressure across their back and chest. Like a hug without having to worry that the other person might want to let go. That the other person might be bored.

_ In-two-three-four. Out-two-three-four. _

Their next breath doesn’t catch in their throat, and slowly they pull their hands away from their ears. They can still faintly hear the sound of revelry down below, but it’s not so crushing anymore. Frankie takes another breath, and then another. Their heart is slowly calming it’s racing pace, thankfully.

“What the fuck—” Arachnikid gasps, letting their head drop back against the bricks. They can’t see through their lenses at the moment, but it’s not like there’s any stars to see in New York City anyway. “What the fuck was that?”

They aren’t expecting an answer, but Karen pipes up anyway. “I believe that was a sensory meltdown. A panic attack caused by excess sensory input.”

“Oh wonderful. Is that going to be a thing now?” They bite out, somewhat bitterly. Their voice is shaking, and they can feel a slight dampness in their mask. Ugh.

“Possibly. Though proper stress management has been shown to lessen their frequency.” Karen says. Frankie likes Karen, especially in moments like these. The AI is sort of matronly, and it’s nice to know that she’s literally incapable of judging them when they’re at a low moment.

“So you’re saying I probably shouldn’t push myself by worrying about what Octavius might do on New Years?”

“Among other things. Yes.” Karen says, and Frankie can hear the sass in her tone. Rude.

“Don’t get smart with me.” Frankie laughs. “And give me my eyes back. Nothing bad happened so I’m going to go home and sleep for approximately fourteen hours.”

“Fourteen hours seems a bit excessive, but I agree that you need rest.” Karen says, and the lenses open wides.

There’s still stray pieces of confetti falling from the sky and the bright LED screens make them squint, it certainly doesn’t help their mounting migraine. They best get home sooner rather than later, so with a joyous shout of  _ “Happy New Years!”  _ they leap off the side of the building.


	2. Arachnid Meets Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frankie decides to travel the multiverse again, and simultaneously gets a free therapy session from a familiar face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is literally almost double the length of the first chapter but that's fine lmao.  
> I'm working on some more art for this so keep a lookout.
> 
> Also, kudos to you if you can find the very small Doctor Who reference I put in here!  
> It's very very small, and from Matt Smith's era.

The simple explanation is that Frankie has nothing better to do, that they’re bored. It’s the truth, but there’s more to it. Home is getting a little overwhelming, with keeping an eye on Peter and keeping up with school, and also, they’re curious. When Peni bounced them around the multiverse there were a whole lot of Peter Parkers, but what about other Frankie Stevenses. Sure, they most likely exist in every universe they’ve visited, but they’ve never met another Arachnikid. 

Curiosity, stress, and boredom are all the excuses Frankie needs to dig the gizmo from the wardrobe and fiddle with the settings. According to Peni’s identification system, Frankie lives on Earth-668, and closer numbers are  _ usually  _ more similar to each other. Frankie has always been a bit of an edgelord at heart, so they set the coordinates to Earth-666. Why not?

Frankie bounces excitedly on their toes as the portal bubbles into existence on their dormitory floor. With a deep breath they pull up their hood and jump in.

Falling through the web of the multiverse is as strange as ever, their body stretching and contorting with space-time. Like a celestial taffy pulling machine. It’s not painful, but it’s still really fucking weird and indescribable.

Then, they tumble out of the other side into the middle of Times Square. They make a note to ask Peni why Times Square is so universally important, considering their dorm is in Brooklyn. Thankfully, Arachnikid lands somewhat gracefully on top of a street lamp, crouching to take everything in. It’s a real universe, none of the cartoonishness present in Miles’ universe, and the brands on the billboards seem to be the ones they’re familiar with. 

A few minutes pass and no web-clad person makes a smart comment, or comes at them with web-shooters raised. Arachnikid frowns beneath the mask. Only two universes to the left of their own, but there’s no Arachnikid here it seems. Otherwise they’re pretty sure they’d get more notice. Pointed fingers and camera phones. As it stands, they get no more than a few weird looks.

Arachnikid drops down to the street and starts walking. There’s no need to attract more attention by web swinging, and they keep the mask on. If the Frankie Stevens of this universe isn’t a spider themed vigilante, they don’t want to cause them trouble. They walk sort of aimlessly, unsure of where their doppleganger could be. They get about four blocks in the direction of Stark Tower before they’re interrupted, by the sound of repulsors no less.

“Don’t you fucking move, underoos.”

Pfft, yeah right. With the way their spider-sense is going wild there’s no way they’re just going to freeze. It’s a good thing too because suddenly there’s a blade embedded in the brick right where their head would have been had they followed directions.Yikes.

“Woah! Good guy! Please don’t stab me, thanks!” Arachnikid yelps, raising their hands and turning to face… Iron Man? Okay, so this person is clearly  _ not  _ Iron Man. Their armor is mostly black, their visor is shaped like a Spartan helmet, they have liberty spikes, and their suit is much slimmer than anything Stark wore pre-2018, but it’s still a suit of armor powered by an arc reactor in the chest. Neat.

“You expect me to believe that after you fell through a portal in the sky? You’re literally covered in time-space energy!” The Spartan Iron Man says. They certainly don’t sound like Stark either. “Who are you?”

_ Now  _ people have their camera phones out, and Arachnikid hears whispers of ‘Iron Knight,’ which is probably the person aiming a repulsor at their head. Their other arm is formed into a blade, which is super sick and reminds Arachnikid vaguely of Edward Elric.

“I’m just a tourist. Chill. I take it there’s no Arachnikid here?”

“What are you talking about? Who’s Arachnikid?” Iron Knight demands.

“Me. I’m Arachnikid. I’m— Listen, could you put that down? You’re making me anxious. Let’s just talk about this like adults, which I realize is strange because I have ‘kid’ in my name, but I’ll buy you coffee or something.” Arachnikid says, more like pleads, gesturing at the repulsor. Thankfully they do lower it, but moments later they’re grabbing Arachnikid’s upper arm and yanking them along without a word or an ounce of gentleness. The crowd is growing and clearly Iron Knight does not appreciate the audience. Arachnikid can’t blame them. Their grip is tight, and while Arachnikid is sure they could break the hold, they’re not exactly eager to get a titanium alloy blade to the face. Iron Knight is justified in being super suspicious. Arachnikid did just drop out of the sky from another dimension.

“You better be okay with flying.” They say.

“Of course I— Ah! Gods above!” Arachnikid doesn’t have time to make some quip about their usual method of transport before Iron Knight scoops them under the arms like some sort of metallic bird of prey. Web swinging is fine, but this is nothing like that. Arachnikid has no control as they rocket towards Stark Tower. It’s certainly faster than walking, but it’s also terrifying having their life mostly in the hands of this aggressive stranger.

Iron Knight drops them on a balcony without ceremony. Not the main one that juts out of the top of the tower, but a smaller residential one, half a dozen floors below. Arachnikid has to drop into a roll to avoid injury. Talk about the world’s worst Uber.

“Explain yourself.” Iron Knight says. They try to cross their arms, but the armor gets in the way and they end up fumbling awkwardly instead.

“They call me Arachnikid. I’m from Earth-668. I told you, I’m just a tourist. I got bored, and usually I’d visit Miles or Noir’s universes, but I was curious and decided to come here instead”

Somehow Iron Knight manages to convey surprise through the blank facade of their mask. It’s kind of impressive. “You’re saying the multiverse—”

“Theory confirmed, yeah. I was pretty shocked too. According to my friend’s identification system, this is Earth-666, which means it should be pretty similar to my own universe, but there’s no… well there’s no you in my home. I’ve never heard of Iron Knight.”

“FRI are they telling the truth?” Arachnikid can’t hear the response but they feel like they should be offended that this stranger doesn’t believe them. 

“Listen, my secret identity doesn’t matter in your universe, but you gotta promise to be chill if I look like someone you know. Yeah?” Arachnikid bargains. They can’t see any cameras on the balcony but there’s definitely a recording device in the other’s suit.

Iron Knight makes a vague  _ ‘go on’  _ gesture and Arachnikid drops their hood. After a brief moment of hesitation they tug the mask off their head. Iron Knight… Iron Knight starts  _ laughing.  _ Like, shoulder shaking, full body laughter. Frankie isn’t sure what’s so funny.

“Let— Let me guess. Your name is Frankie Brooklyn Stevens?” They ask, still laughing.

“Frankie Addison, actually. Did I really name myself after a borough in this universe? Lame.” Frankie says. Iron Knight is still laughing. “Bruh, what is so funny?”

“Nothing, just… This is about to get super confusing.” They reply, and the suit hisses as it depressurizes and the mask opens away from their face. That’s… That’s Frankie’s own fucking face. This universe’s Frankie Stevens is Iron Knight.

They don’t look completely identical. The other Frankie has much shorter and brighter hair, and they’re wearing big round glasses. Frankie would bet that under the suit they’re a fair bit shorter, since the bite had given them a wicked growth spurt on top of fixing their vision.

“What kind of Gemini— Okay, what if I’m Frankie A. for Addison, and you’re Frankie B. for Brooklyn? That’ll probably make things easier. I think.” Frankie A. suggests, laughing alongside the other.

“That makes you sound like the original.” Frankie B. says lightly.

“I mean, I could call you Frank, since you’re shorter, but I already know a Frank.” They joke, and Frankie B. shoots them a fake glare.

“How— Who says I’m shorter?”

“You’re wearing glasses, which means you didn’t get bitten by a spider.” Frankie A. replies, even though the answer makes literally no sense.

“That makes literally no sense.” Frankie B. says, pinching the bridge of their nose. “Jesus Christ, I am too tired for this. Come on in, I’ll get you something to drink.”

Apparently the balcony belongs to them, and they enter through the sliding glass door. Frankie B. steps out of the suit and flips the other off when they smirk at them. Frankie A. was right. Their doppelganger is about 5’7” and also much better dressed than Frankie A. has ever been. They’re wearing a forest green blazer over a well fitted golden yellow turtleneck. And are those dress shoes? What in the gods’ names?

“Holy shit, do you live here?” Frankie A. asks, baffled as they look around at a space that’s clearly been decorated to their own tastes.

Frankie B. laughs. “Sorta? Officially I’m Stark’s intern, but ever since Pa died I’ve been splitting my time between here and home.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. What happened?” They ask, following the other towards the kitchenette. “And when?”

“Abou two years ago now. He, uh… he was killed by Kingpin.” Frankie B. says solemnly. “I take it he’s still alive for you?”

“Yeah. Daredevil in my universe generally takes care of Fisk. He’s been on house arrest for about three years now. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Frankie B. hands them a can of Monster Tea across the island, of course they didn’t even have to ask. They’re the same person. Frankie A. takes a seat on one of the stools and pops it open. It’s a little awkward. They’re literally the same person. How can it be awkward?

“Babe? You back?” A new voice says, and Frankie A.  _ knows  _ that voice. They’ve never forgotten it, even after seven whole years, and the woman who walks into the room is undeniably Paige Aarons. She’s older of course, her hair has grown out and she’s wearing makeup, but she still has the same gap toothed smile. It’s like seeing a ghost and Frankie is pretty sure their heart has stopped beating completely.

They’re staring, they can’t help it, but Paige is staring too. Her expression is more baffled than the grief-stricken look Frankie A. is probably wearing.

“I’m back. Sunshine, meet Frankie A. Stevens. They’re visiting from another universe.” Frankie B. says, gesturing with their own can.

Paige seems to take the information gracefully. “They’re taller than you, and they’re wearing spandex.”

Frankie A. does not react gracefully. “You’re alive.” They mutter, barely more than a whisper. They don’t mean to say it aloud, but that’s  _ Paige,  _ the woman they loved and lost far too soon.

“She’s dead in your universe.” Frankie B. realizes. 

“Seven years ago now. The Defenders were fighting the Hand when Midland Circle exploded. She was caught in the blast. Her death was the reason I became Arachnikid.”

Paige is looking back and forth between the two Frankies and Frankie A. is still just staring at her. They should stop, get ahold of theirself but it’s hard. Suddenly it feels like Midland Circle was just yesterday.

“Seven years?” Frankie B. gapes. “That puts you at what? Sophomore year? You’ve been a hero all that time?”

“I mean, I did get superpowers right before, so I didn’t think there was another option, but basically, yeah.” Frankie A. says, dropping their gaze to their hands wrapped around the can in their lap.

“Well now I feel like a noob. How did that even happen? You mentioned something about a spider?” The shorter Frankie asks.

Frankie A. laughs bitterly. “Yeah. Oscorp experiments with radioactive genetic modification. I was doing some urbex and got bitten. Now I’ve got super strength and reflexes, twenty-twenty vision, I stick to walls, and I glow. The webs are artificial though. Speaking of, is Spiderman a thing here?”

Earth-666, it turns out, does have a Spiderman, but he’s much less social than he is on Earth-668. He’s friendly with Iron Knight, but they don’t know one another’s faces or names. His suit isn’t Stark tech because he doesn’t know Stark, though he’s thankfully not wearing the sweatsuit their Peter used to wear. It looks like plain spandex.

In this universe Frankie B. was trying to recreate the Iron Man suit when their Pa was killed. Tony Stark took them in after and helped them finish their own suit. The thinking was that they would eventually take on the mantle when he retires. For Frankie B. they’ve only been doing the hero thing since their Pa’s death, a grand total of two years. In this universe Dr. Clark was working in Stark Industries R&D, which made him valuable to Kingpin.

When Arachnikid had made the multiverse jump FRIDAY had detected a huge energy flux, which is how Iron Knight found them. Stark himself is currently on a mission with the Avengers in Russia, which is why he doesn’t make an appearance. For only being two universes to the left, the events in this one are wildly different. Frankie B. has never met Frank Castle, or even heard of Thanos.

“Mini-boss, your centrifuge cycle has ended.” FRIDAY announces at one point, which is when Frankie B. frantically excuses theirself to sprint towards the lab, leaving Frankie A. alone with Paige.

Frankie B. knows how to talk to Paige. They’re partners. Frankie A. has no idea what to say without making it awkward. It’s painful, seeing her. Frankie has been making progress, moving on from their past. They’re making friends at college and even contemplating the idea of a new relationship, but now the thought leaves a bitter taste in their mouth.

“You’re thinking too loud, A.” Paige comments, not even looking up from her phone. “Staring is rude, you know.”

Frankie flushes, looking away quickly. “Sorry.”

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Nah, it’s stupid anyway.” They say.

“You and B. both do that, the whole ‘it’s not that bad’ thing. That’s the stupid thing here, so just spit it out. It’s clearly bothering you.” Paige shoots back, putting her phone back to give them an unimpressed look.

“I was thinking about you… well the you from my universe. I guess I wasn’t coping as well as I thought I was.” Frankie shrugs.

“You’ve been alone, haven’t you? Since she died?”

“No— No I have friends. I have a family, I just—” They say, shaking their head. “I don’t know. I have people I can count on, people who have my six but—”

“It’s not the same, is it?”

Paige was always good at reading Frankie all those years ago, apparently seven years and a different universe doesn't change that. They’re really trying not to think of their Paige and this Paige as the same person, but it’s hard. It’s been ages since someone has been able to just see through them.

“Yeah. I guess so.”

“So what’s with that guilty look on your face? Like you cheated on an exam or something.”

Frankie doesn’t say anything, and it turns out they don’t need to.

“You feel guilty for moving on… That has got to be the most moronic shit I’ve ever heard, and I listened to B. infodump about Birdemic.” Paige says bluntly. “I get to say this because I’m me, so listen up.”

Frankie nods.

“Move on. It’s okay. It’s what I’d want for B if I were to die tomorrow. Seriously, seven years is long enough, too long even.” She says. “All you heroes do this isolation shit and it’s stupid. You need people more than anyone. Don’t do that to yourself. Don’t be alone, Frankie.”

Frankie’s eyes are burning with tears. They’re crying because Paige is right. They do feel guilty, and lonely, and all manner of awful unpleasant things. Everything has changed recently. Peter used to be their best friend, but Frankie changed over the last five years and now he’s their charge instead. No one in their life knows them as well as Peter, or Paige, used to. They feel alone.

“Do one more thing for me?” Paige says.

“Huh?” Frankie replies, wiping their eyes and sniffling.

“Come give me a hug. You look like you could use it.” She directs, holding her arms open in invitation.

“It’s strangely easy to let Paige hug them tightly, despite the obvious differences from their memories. It’s all for their sake, Frankie knows, but it’s nice to lean on someone, if only for a couple moments. Paige is letting them have closure. Apparently kindness is a universal trait for her.

“Holy fuck you’re tall. I should make B. wear platforms more often. Jesus.” She comments.

Frankie snorts on a laugh, letting Paige go. “How much height did they add to the suit? Like at least four inches?”

“They think it makes them more intimidating.” She chuckles.

“That tracks.” They reply. “To be fair, they did intimidate me at first, though that probably had more to do with the scary mask and their attempts to stab me.”

“Careful, it might go to their head, and then they won’t be able to fit in the suit.”

“Thank you, Paige.” Frankie says, as the laughter fades out. “I know this is super weird for both of us, but I’m glad that B. has you looking out for them. Gods know you’re the braincell of the pair.”

“You’ll find your person, and when you do, hold on with everything you have. You deserve to be happy. Got it?”

Frankie grins. “Yes ma’am.”

~*~

By the time Frankie hops back into their own universe the sun has long set and the dining halls have closed. Whoops. Ramen it is then.

They’ve got a few texts and emails from classmates, but none of them are particularly pressing. After a moment of contemplation Frankie opens one specific conversation and types out a message. They hit send before they can think about it, Paige’s encouraging words still bouncing around in their head.

_ To: Nicky The EE Major 2243 _ _  
_ _ Would you want to go out for coffee sometime? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of the original Saga I remembered that I had another OC named Frankie, in the MCU, so I was like, what if they met?  
> and then I asked myself, how do I make this tragic?
> 
> Nicky is a new character with no link to actual cannon characters, as will pretty much every character in the next chapter. I'm excited to explore Frankie's social circle, and tell the story from some new perspectives!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed!!


	3. Obligatory Media Fic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the city thinks of Arachnikid

**Comet King** @thatsmyrealname   
Did Spidey get a new suit? ngl, its a downgrade but i dont miss the red blue combo.

**it’s MJ** @jonesm13   
Nah, he was spotted the same day. Bet there’s a new hero in New York.

**Arach-apocalypse: Brooklyn’s New Wall Crawler by J. Jameson**

_ Last week we were introduced to New York City’s newest danger beacon. Sighted in Brooklyn, this new masked menace bears startling resemblance to Spiderman, both in appearance and ability. The people of NYC are left to wonder how much trust we can have for the new nameless, faceless arachnid. _

_ If Spiderman is any indication it seems we have another irresponsible costumed vigilante on our hands. They’re out there playing judge, jury, and executioner in their pajamas. What gives them the right to decide, especially when they conceal their face, unable to be held accountable…  _

**New Hero on the Scene by Mya Sparks**

_ Last week a new face, or new mask, rather, was spotted in Brooklyn saving a kid from the street and swinging around on webs just like Queens’ own Spiderman, albeit with a little less finesse than the other… _

**Jordy** @jam_man   
Does anyone know what we’re calling the new arachnid hero

**Frankie S.** @localenbymoron   
I’ve heard “Arachnikid” but don’t quote me on that.

**Erin is tired** @ErinsArtTwitter   
Oh! I like that!

**Arachnikid Saves the Day**

_ When Aleksei Sytsevich aka Rhino escaped prison last week, every single New Yorker was holding their breath to see what he would do, and hoping that it wouldn’t affect them, myself included. Too many times has Rhino caused massive damage to the infrastructure of the city, buildings condemned and lives changed. _

_ Thankfully, the city now has two arachnids looking out for her. The newest on the scene, Arachnikid, was seen taking down Rhino in the streets of Brooklyn, doubtlessly reducing property damage and casualties… _

**Spiderman** @NYCWallCrawler   
Do I have competition for my own villains now?

**#1 Spider-fan** @ThompsonS   
You’re the cooler one tho

**Spiderman** @NYCWallCrawler   
Where’s the lie?

**Spider Watch** @spiderman-updts   
Brooklyn Hero, Arachnikid, spotted helping an old woman across the street today.

**Katty (she/her)** @CandyCaneContent   
Yo, what are arachnikids prns? 

**Arachnikid** @NBWebhead   
they / them : ]

**Katty (she/her)** @CandyCaneContent   
Hey thanks— holy shit

**Arachnikid** @NBWebhead   
Hello NYC and hello twitter!   
[ID: A picture of the New York skyline at sunset, taken from somewhere high, presumably the top of a skyscraper] 

**Arachnikid: Murderer and Menace**

_ Reports have come in of a confrontation between the Mexican Cartel in Brooklyn and the burough’s local arachnid. It appears as if the menace has broken their usual pattern and killed a total of twenty-three people. If Arachnikid would break from their usual MO so suddenly, what is keeping them from attacking civilians and innocents? We must hold these so-called “heroes” accountable… _ _   
  
_

**Arachnikid** @NBWebhead   
I swear on every god I believe in, I didn’t kill anyone.   
  


**Arachnikid** @NBWebhead   
Spidey and I are chill now, dw.   
[ID: A selfie taken by Arachnikid showing both theirs and Spiderman’s masked faces.]

**Why Arachnikid is Important to Trans Folk Everywhere**

_ Just months ago Arachnikid became New York’s newest hero. Their introduction was somewhat controversial as they were the first openly non-binary hero that we’ve ever seen. As conservatives booed their debut the LGBTQ+ community rejoiced… _

**Arachnikid** @NBWebhead   
I’m doing an AMA on Reddit. For funsies. 

**⇕ I’m NYC’s Other Arachnid Superhero. AMA**

**⇕ u/tortilla89-** what’s your secret identity?  
 **⇕ u/arachnidNYC-** Nice try. It’s not that easy  
 **⇕** **u/tortilla89-** It was worth a shot

**⇕ u/wonderbread420-** what’s a weird fear you have?   
**⇕ u/arachnidNYC-** bees, probably

**⇕ u/whatplot-** Why aren’t you public with your identity like, say Tony Stark?   
**⇕ u/arachnidNYC-** My job makes me a lot of enemies, and unlike Stark, I don’t have enough   
money or resources to protect my loved ones, should they become a target

**⇕ u/wetsock-** what’s your social life like, when you keep a secret like this?   
**⇕ u/arachnidNYC-** Oh! That’s a good one. I have a lot of hero/vigilante friends, which is    
nice,but it’s hard to keep normal friends when you have so many big secrets.

**⇕ u/AR16-** How do you stick to walls and stuff? You must have some natural abilities since    
you’ve been seen lifting cars, but how much is you, and how much is mechanical?   
**⇕ u/arachnidNYC-** The web shooters are the only mechanical part of my abilities. Everything   
else I could do naked.   
**⇕ u/astroxem-** Weird way of phrasing it, but okay.

**Arachnikid** @NBWebhead   
Got an update! Thanks @iamironman    
[ID: Selfie of Arachnikid wearing an updated suit. Similar to Spiderman’s but with different colors and a hood.]

**Spiderman** @NYCWallCrawler   
Looks good, man!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short, but I'm out of ideas and formatting is a nightmare klsdfjlkd
> 
> Leave comments and kudos if you enjoyed


	4. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Frankie meets every member of their friend group

The first time Toby meets Frankie is when they show up during one of the team’s after-practice brunches, and Nicky invites them over to the table. Toby’s first impression is that they get like no sleep. Seriously, Frankie is dragging their feet and fighting to keep their eyes open. Toby’s second impression is that they are  _ jacked,  _ and Toby’s an athlete, so his standards for things like this are pretty high. 

Frankie isn’t like Captain America jacked, but they're tall and lithe and muscular. They’re basically the perfect rower.

“I see that look on your face, Toby.” Nicky laughs. “It’s not gonna work, trust me, I’ve tried.”

“Sorry. My heart belongs to parkour and parkour alone.” Frankie mumbles into their coffee. Parkour would certainly explain those muscles.

“Told you.” Nicky says. “Absolutely unrecruitable.”

Toby’s pretty sure that Frankie’s natural state is ‘two hours of sleep’ because every time he sees them they’ve got serious dark circles and basically no energy. They kind of remind him of Comet and he’s pretty sure the two of them would get on like a house on fire, or maybe they’d just end up taking a nap.

He would never say it out loud, but Toby also thinks that Frankie is a bit of a flake. Half their messages to anyone are some variation of “Sorry, something came up” and they’re super dodgy about giving an actual excuse. Not to mention their constantly bruised knuckles. Other than that though, they always do their share on group projects, and they’re friendly enough. 

Nicky has definitely had worse crushes.

~*~

Alex first meets Frankie in English class. They stumble in twenty minutes late, clutching a can of Monster like it’s the only thing keeping them upright. That’s not even mentioning the black eye and split lip they’re sporting. What even?

They’re a freshman, if the lanyard is any indication. Who the hell is out there literally beating up freshies like it’s 1987?

“Yo, are you alright man?” Alex whispers while the professor isn’t looking. “You look like shit.”

“Do you talk to all strangers so rudely, or am I just special?” They hiss back. They’ve opened their notebook but they don’t get out a pen or make any motion to actually take notes. If Alex had to bet, it’s because their right hand is kind of fucked up, knuckles scabbed and bruised. Apparently Frankie gave as good as they got.

“Listen, you’re the one who came into class looking like an extra from Fight Club. Call it upperclassman concern.” Alex says, pulling out a bottle of water and dropping it on their desk.

Frankie rolls their eyes and mumbles a hardly audible ‘thanks’ before chugging it all down.

“I’m Alex, by they way.” Alex says, after class ends and everyone starts filing out of the room.

“Frankie.” They say, falling into step.

“I know.’

“You know?” 

Alex laughs. “Yeah. Nicky likes to tell stories about some of the shit you got up to during orientation. You still haven’t explained why you look like you got hit by a campus bus. You know your tuition is paid if that happens, right?”

Frankie doesn’t meet Alex’s eyes, rubbing the back of their neck. “I fell down the stairs?”

“Must have been some stairs.” Alex snorts.

“It probably doesn’t help that I pulled an all-nighter.” They mumble. “But I heal fast, so it’s all good.”

Alex raises an eyebrow. “If you say so.”

“I do say so. Thanks for the water, by the way. Do you just carry spares around everywhere?”

“It’s the parental coxswain instinct.” Alex shrugs. “They amount of times the novices have forgotten to bring water out on the boat is innumerable.”

“Noted.” Frankie chuckles.

~*~

The first time Comet meets Frankie is at the end of xir own sophomore year. Xe and some friends are getting together to study for finals. Toby’s grades are a little low and he needs to get them back up if he wants to qualify for rowing next year.

“Mind if I invite Frankie?” Nicky asks. “I need someone to help me with parametric modelling.”

“You mean you need someone to make heart-eyes at?” Alex teases.

“You shut your loud coxswain mouth, Alex.” She sputters, blushing. Comet’s pretty sure Frankie is the only person on campus who doesn't know about Nicky’s crush on them.

“I got no issue with it.” Toby shrugs, and the others agree.

An hour later Frankie shows up, sweaty, out of breath, and disheveled. They hand Nicky a flash drive and a stack of papers before nodding at Comet.

“Hey. I’m Frankie Stevens.” They say.

“Comet King.” Comet replies.

Frankie’s eyes widen. “Deadass? That’s so cool.”

“Deadass.” Xe agrees.

Frankie is definitely a jock in every sense of the word. They’re muscular, loud, and they can hardly sit still long enough to study anything. Their curly hair is well dyed, and they’re wicked smart, but as the study session progresses, a dark bruise starts forming on the left side of their jaw. It’s almost like they’d been punched just minutes before arriving at the library. Curious, but it’s not Comet’s place to pry.

In a word, Frankie is weird. Shady, strange, and twitchy also apply. Comet thinks they’re pretty cool in all honesty.

~*~

Frankie runs into Nicky for the first time during orientation. Literally runs right into her while the group is standing around in the courtyard behind one of the dorm halls. Nicky makes an embarrassing high pitched noise as both of them topple over, flailing. She braces for impact, sure that she’s gonna crack her head on the cobblestones, but it never comes.

She lands roughly on her back but there’s a hand on the back of her head, preventing any real injury. Nicky looks up at the person who knocked them over, and her mouth goes dry. They’re holding theirself above her, one hand on the stones and the other still on the back of her head.  _ Wow.  _ They are handsome, pretty, whatever. They’ve got curly pink hair that’s a little bit faded, dark roots growing in, bright green eyes, and a sharp jawline. Not to mention their halfway unbuttoned dress shirt straining just a bit over their muscular shoulders, sleeves rolled up to their elbows. They’re out of breath and flushed, presumably from running to catch up with the group since they have the same color coded lanyard as the rest of them.  _ Gods above. _

“I am so sorry.” The pretty stranger says.Their voice is low-ish and smooth. “Are you okay?”

Nicky nods dumbly, taking their offered hand and standing. Their knuckles are busted, and the whole group has turned to look. The guide asks them both if they’re okay. 

“I promise I’m not normally this clumsy, or late. I’m Frankie.” They say, once the orientation leader has gathered everyone’s attention again. Neither of them are listening. It’s all the same info as they got on the campus tour anyway.

“I’m Nicky. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

Nicky is so doomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little on the short side, but whatever.
> 
> Leave comments and kudos if you enjoyed. We'll get back to the heroism parts of the story soon


	5. This Isn't What it Looks Like

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of close calls.

Frankie is not a moron, despite all the evidence to the contrary. They can be a little dense sometimes, but they’re not stupid. As such, one would think that, after all these years, Frankie should be able to pass as normal. They should have a handle on their superhuman abilities. The keyword is  _ ‘should.’ _

They can excuse a little extra strength here and there, but it’s really hard to explain why they literally cannot let go of their textbook. The textbook that Alex needs and is currently trying to take from their hands.

“Did you superglue this to your hand or some dumb shit?” Alex asks, tugging on the book again.

Frankie flushes. “No. I just— ugh. Give me just a second.”

Alex does so, letting go of the textbook and making a  _ ‘go on’  _ gesture. Frankie cusses, trying to relax enough that they stop sticking to the cover. This is all Alex’s fault anyway. Alex asked why Frankie always smiles like a loon when Nicky is brought up and they panicked and started sticking to their English textbook. After a few long, uncomfortable seconds, it works and their fingers peel off of the glossy surface. 

“What the hell is up with you?” Alex scoffs, already pulling the book across the table and flipping it open to the appropriate page. Frankie doesn’t know how to answer that.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” They deflect.

Alex just shoots them an exasperated look and goes back to scribbling practice problems.

~*~

Frankie’s got a serious pain tolerance. It’s basically a given considering how many costumed weirdos throw them around like a rag doll. It’s probably not something to be proud of, how well they’ve learned to hide injuries. Still, when they heal as quickly as they do, it’s even more suspicious than constantly being bruised or bloody. And yet…

Frankie doesn’t even remember what they said, only that it earned them a sharp jab from Nicky’s elbow. Unknowingly, she strikes them in the worst possible place, right on their ribs, still black and blue from a fight with Goblin two days prior. The fractures are barely healed over, and the sharp pain makes Frankie wheeze. The subsequent coughing makes it even worse.

“Woah. You good, babe?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” They say, still out of breath and holding a hand over the bruised area.

“Really? Because I barely nudged you and you gasped like you’d just been stabbed.” She deadpans

“Uhhh….”  _ Very eloquent, Francis. _

“Did you hurt yourself running again?”

“Uh… yeah! Yeah, that’s what happened.” Frankie says, seizing the opportunity, though maybe a little too quickly if Nicky’s raised eyebrow is any indication.

“You should be more careful. I’ll wrap you in bubble-wrap if I have to.” She says, turning back to her laptop. “Just tell me you shouldn’t be going to the hospital?”

“Cross my heart.” Frankie promises. “I’ll be good to go in like three days.”

~*~

“Alright. I gotta ask. What’s up with the wristbands?”

Frankie looks up at Comet’s question, instinctively grabbing their left wrist.  _ Shit.  _ Comet is asking about their web shooters. Frankie has not thought about this problem before, because it’s never been a problem. They’re on the spot, and they need to think of a lie quickly, because the rest of the group is half-listening, waiting for an answer.

“They’re— It’s a fitness tracker?” Frankie says, wincing when it comes out as a question.

Comet isn’t convinced. “Those aren’t like any I’ve ever seen. Why do you have two?”

_ Motherfucker.  _ Xe’s too damn observant.

“They’re prototypes my Pa’s working on.” Frankie lies, more confidently. “Having two makes for more accurate data than one guess?”

Comet shrugs and goes back two xir work, as do the others. Frankie has to hold back a sigh of a relief. They have no idea what they would have said if Comet hadn’t bought it. And it’s not like everything they said was a lie. The web shooters do measure Frankie’s vitals with serious accuracy. 

They shake their head and turn back to their work.

~*~ 

Frankie has fucked up. 100%, absolutely dicked theirself over. Forget not being an idiot, they’re a gods damned moron, because Nicky is sitting in Frankie’s dorm room and Frankie is stuck to the wall outside because they don’t have so much as a jacket to hide their suit.

It’s completely Frankie’s fault. They told Nicky to meet up in their dorm, but they lost track of time and now they’re five minutes late, and Nicky is already here. There’s no way on Earth they can excuse crawling in the window dressed like New York’s resident vigilante.  _ Shit. _

“K, can you remotely access the alarm system in the building?”

“I can.” The AI answers.

“Awesome. Do me a favor and trigger the alarm for me.”

“Affirmative.”

A few moments later the alarm on the wall starts flashing and screaming. It’s loud, and obnoxious, and it hurts Frankie’s ears, but it does the job. Nicky closes her laptop and leaves the room, heading for the exit along with every other resident in the building. As soon as the door clicks shut, Frankie pulls their body through the window, tugging off their mask and gloves as quickly as possible. They pull sweats and a hoodie on over the suit before trotting towards the exit farthest from the one Nicky had taken. Once they’re on the street they make a big loop around the building.

“Damn, another drill already?” Frankie says, as soon as they locate Nicky in the crowd.

“Honestly. We just had one last week too.” She says

“Ugh, well what can you do?” Frankie laughs. “Sorry I’m late. People walk  _ so slow.” _

“You just walk too fast, Stevens.” Nicky grins.  _ Crisis averted. _

~*~

Honestly? Fuck Venom. When Frankie designed the Masquerade Protocol it was because Octavius was getting far too grabby, but it comes in handy pretty frequently. With Masquerade active their mask is super tough, but evidently, that symbiote is tougher.

Their mask is in tatters as they limp, exhausted, away from the fight. The bottom half has been shredded, and their right lens is gone, torn right out of the fabric. Not to mention the pink curls sticking out of their mask. Brock is unconscious, and securely webbed to the concrete. It won’t last long once she wakes up, but with the slow way the symbiote is bubbling over her skin, Arachnikid will at least get a healthy head-start, from Venom, and the cops.

It’s stupid, really. They’re out of web fluid so they have to  _ walk,  _ which puts them at even more risk with their torn mask. So they tug their hood as low as they can and keep their head down. It’s night-time, but that doesn’t mean much in New York. The streets are still crowded and the billboards are just as bright as the sun.

They duck down an alley. It’ll take them longer to get back to their dorm this way, but it’s dark and there are fewer people. It’s not exactly safe, but even as exhausted as Frankie is, they can handle a mugger if they have two, possibly. It’s a 50/50 chance.

Okay, maybe realistically it’s more like 40/60 in favor of the mugger. Their spider-sense gives a tiny chirp, the type usually reserved for flying water bottles and loud noises. Maybe they’re just that tired that they don’t hear the guy coming until they smack right into him and fall flat on their ass. It’s only through luck that their tattered hood stays in place.

“Oh man. I was so not paying attention. Are you okay, dude?” They guy takes out his headphones. Holy shit is Frankie glad that it’s so dark, because they literally just  _ ran  _ into Toby fucking Park. Nicky’s teammate Toby Park.  _ Gods above.  _ Never mind, their luck is fucking awful.

Frankie slaps their hands over their face, covering everything they can. “Yeah— me, uh, me neither. Sorry about that.” 

Frankie watches a look of confusion pass over Toby’s face before he realizes. Skin tight suit, giant spider insignia, and the big cracked lens of their mask.

“Shit. I just knocked over Arachnikid in a back alley. What would the Bugle say?” Toby snorts, holding out a hand. Frankie keeps a hand over their face when they take it.

“Probably that I deserved it, to be honest.” They groan. “ Don’t get a big head about it though. I just fought Venom. I’m pretty sure an ambitious toddler could take me out.”

Toby laughs “Oh!” He pats his pockets. “Your mask is torn, right? I got you. My mom is a nurse and makes me carry these around.”

He takes a surgical mask out of one of his pockets, packed inside a plastic bag.

“You can wear this. It’ll probably be easier than walking around with your hands over your face.”

“Thanks, T— uh… citizen.”  _ Frankie you moron.  _ They take the mask from his outstretched hand and secure it over their face. Between the scraps of their own mask, the shadows of their hood, and the pale blue paper-adjacent mask, they’re probably in the clear.

“You’re a life-saver. Seriously.” Arachnikid says, patting Toby’s shoulder. “Stay safe out there. This city is full of weirdos.” They start to walk past him.

“You mean like you?” Toby retorts. 

“Yeah.” Arachnikid chuckles. “Like me.”

~*~

All in all, it takes way longer than Frankie expected for anyone to find out their secret identity without them telling the person first (with the exception of their fathers), but Frankie has terrible luck. Honestly, they’re glad it’s just one person instead of being unmasked on live television. Still, Frankie is at a loss of what to do or say because they’re standing in front of their fucking  _ girlfriend  _ dressed in the suit and glowing like the Rockafeller Christmas tree. They really fucked this one up.

“You motherfucker.” Nicky snaps. She’s not yelling, but it doesn’t matter. Nicky only swears when she’s pissed, and right now she’s absolutely  _ seething. _

“I didn’t think you were coming over tonight.” Frankie says dumbly.

“I wasn’t going to.” Nicky says, closing the door and stepping into the room, arms crossed. “But I was studying and I realized I left my fucking microcontroller textbook here.”

Frankie doesn’t say anything, wringing the mask in their hands nervously. 

“I tried to call you, but you didn’t pick up. I figured you were on a run, so I popped by to pick it up and find— Gods, I don’t even know what I found. What the hell, Frankie?”

“Nicky. I—” Frankie doesn’t know what to say.

“You— Shit. We’ve known each other since orientation, and we’ve been together for a  _ year.  _ Were you ever planning on telling me?”

Honestly? Yes, but they had no idea how. At least with Castle, or Matt, or Peter, they had understood. With them it was less scary. With them it was more of “this is my name” and less of “hey, I risk my life every day. I hope you’re okay with that.”

“I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you, but— shit, I just dug myself a hole and I didn’t know how to climb out of it without making you upset, which I realize now was—” Frankie babbles. “You absolutely deserved to know and I just—” They cut theirself off with a sigh, shrugging uselessly.

“You just  _ what _ , Frankie?” Nicky demands. “I thought you trusted me.” Her eyes are wet and Frankie’s chest fills with hot shame.

“I didn’t want  _ this.  _ I’m a fucking coward and I didn’t want to see you upset. I didn’t want you associated with that part of me because it’s stupid dangerous. Of course I trusted you. I  _ do  _ trust you. I just— I just wanted to keep you safe.”

_ “Not from Rhino, you can’t”  _ Frankie wants to say but it’s not helpful, or fair.

“I’m sorry.” They say instead, voice choked. They drop their mask, and reach out, but Nicky bats their hand away and takes a step back, scowling.

“Don’t— Just don’t. I can’t deal with this right now. It’s super fucking late, and I have a 2k test in the morning.” She says sharply. “I need some time, and- and I need some space. So if I could have my textbook, I’ll be on my way.”

Frankie nods solemnly, grabbing the book off their desk and handing it to her. Neither of them say a word as she takes it and leaves, and they don't miss Nicky wiping her eyes as the door starts to close. Frankie doesn’t get much sleep that night.

~*~

If the others notice any tension between the pair, they don’t mention it, though Comet does give them both concerned stares. Frankie just gives xem tense smiles in response. What else can they do? What can they say?

It’s three days of radio silence. Three days of taking out their overflowing emotions on mostly deserving criminals. Three days before Nicky finally texts Frankie asking to talk. She asks to meet up in her own dorm, as the sun is just starting to set over the city. Frankie crawls in through the window, suit under their clothes because depending how this goes, they’ll head out for a very productive patrol. 

Nicky takes in their appearance, the suit obvious under their unzipped jacket and athletic shorts, and their hands tucked into their pockets. Nicky shrugs, arms crossed.

“I don’t know what to say.” She says, looking at her feet. “Are there any other lies I should know about? ‘Cause I feel like there could be others.”

“Not off the top of my head.” Frankie responds. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I do trust you, I just— I don’t want Octavius, or Osborn, or Rhino coming after you because of me. I can’t— I can’t lose anyone else.”

Nicky doesn’t say anything, but when Frankie reaches for her hands she doesn’t pull them away, oar calloused hands standing out against the black of Frankie’s gloves.

“I’m sorry. I understand if— I won’t blame you if this is too much. I’ll crawl out that window right now and you’ll never see me again, if that’s what you want.” Frankie says.

“That might be difficult, considering we share so many classes and friends.” Nicky quips with a barely-there smile. It’s not much, but it’s so much better than the scowls, or gods forbid, the  _ tears  _ Frankie had seen on her face the last time they were alone together.

“Maybe.” Frankie shrugs, still holding Nicky’s hands, “But I’d do it for you. You didn’t sign up for this. I don’t want to put that burden on your shoulders. I’ve been told dating a superhero is a pain in the ass.”

“You’re worth it.” She says, and Frankie does a double take.

“Wait, are you serious?” They ask, hopeful.

“Yeah. Why not?” Nicky smiles up at them. “I mean, this wasn’t exactly my plan for college, but it could be worse.”

Frankie laughs with relief. “Thank the gods. You’re the best woman I’ve ever known and I really didn’t want to fuck it up.” They bring both of Nicky’s hands up to their face and kiss her knuckles with an exaggerated  _ ‘mwah’  _ sound, delighting in the way it makes her grin.

“Yeah, yeah.” She responds, rolling her eyes. “Just treat me to coffee tomorrow and don’t keep stuff from me again. We’ll call it even.”

“Yes, absolutely.” They nod, smiling widely. “Though I’m warning you, it’s going to be weird, and probably scary.”

“I’m prepared to handle that.”

What’s Frankie supposed to do?  _ Not  _ kiss her? No way in hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here's my Twitter!](https://twitter.com/jennsepticeye)   
>  [Here's my Instagram!](https://www.instagram.com/jennsepticeye/)   
>  [Here's my Tumblr!](https://keensepticeye.tumblr.com/)   
>  [And here's an ask blog for Arachnikid!](https://ask-arachnikid.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Leave comments and kudos if you enjoyed. I really like writing this chapter, and there's more to come, including some backstories and some Matt and Frankie bonding.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the art if you missed it!  
> [Here's one!](https://mirko-simp.tumblr.com/post/636440842287136768/heres-another-arachnikid-piece-i-did-that-im) [Here's two!](https://mirko-simp.tumblr.com/post/636440504540807168/so-heres-my-spidersona-arachnikid-you-can-read) [Here's the third!](https://mirko-simp.tumblr.com/post/636410403411394560/i-drew-the-top-one-back-in-2018-and-the-bottom-one)
> 
> And my socials!  
> [Here's my Twitter!](https://twitter.com/jennsepticeye)  
> [Here's my Instagram!](https://www.instagram.com/jennsepticeye/)  
> [Here's my Tumblr!](https://keensepticeye.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Drop kudos and comments if you enjoyed! They always make my day!  
> I'm really excited about the next chapter because I'm going to explore the multiverse where Frankie finds another version of theirself!


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